Tastings: Very Old Barton 86 Proof

I've become a huge fan of Barton's bourbon releases over the past half dozen or so years.  They produce no fewer than four different proof statements of their tried and true Very Old Barton brand and their Ridgemont Reserve is a solid premium whiskey too.  When it comes to quality at the lower end of the price range though, it's hard to beat the VOB bourbons.  I picked up the 1.75 liter 86 proof that I used for this tasting for under 20 bucks at Liquor Barn in Lexington a few weeks back.  I hope they can keep the prices of the wonderful line down in the bargain basement, especially since bourbon in general just keeps getting more and more popular.  The price is even more impressive when you consider this is a six year old bourbon.

As far as the taste goes, the 86 proof is just a good solid bourbon with complex flavors you'd expect to find in bourbons toward the premium end.  There's a good hit of corn sweetness on the front end with some rye that sneaks through toward the finish.  I've heard of a study that stated scotch whisky picks up flavor characteristics from the environment it's tasted in and, before I ever heard this study, a friend and I had some VOB 86 as we sauntered along a creek behind his house on a hot summer's day a couple of years ago.  We both commented on the incredible vanilla finish we both experienced along with an overall woodier aspect to the flavor.  The bourbon just tasted incredible and I'm hoping we can duplicate the experience when the weather warms up again and, we may have to try some different bourbons to see what effect the great outdoors has on them as well.

Anyway, as you can tell, I'm over the moon about this bourbon.  I give it high marks for flavor and finish and the value as far as the price point is concerned is unbelievable.  If you like bourbon and don't want to spend a fortune, this one fills the need very well.

I've also had the pleasure of sampling the other proofs of VOB and the 90 and 100 proof releases are nothing short of spectacular and, though a bit more expensive than the 86 proof, they're still very reasonably priced.  The 80 proof is more in the budget bourbon category.  It's not terrible but, it's not aged for six years and it's really better suited for cocktail mixing than for enjoying straight.  In a pinch, it's drinkable with water or on the rocks though.